Clocking attachment for circular-knitting machines.



F. W. ROBINSON. CLOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-14, I914.

Patented 001. 31,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I o M M II lrnmv M M 0 duMw 3 Nd M m Q 4 L w Aw 3 n u 1 In r 6 1 1 w a l|||l| M 6 J F. W. ROBINSON.

CLOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION r1120 OCT. 14, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

" UNITED STATES PATENT oration.

FRANK W. ROBINSON, OF BEADIN G, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NOLDE &HORST CO., 01 READING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOCKING ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters'latent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

Application filed October 14, 1914. Serial N 0. 866,579.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. RoBINsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania,have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Clocking Attachmentsfor Circular-Knitting -Machines, of which the following is aspecification.-

My invention relates to an improved attachment for circular knittingmachines whereby an additional thread or. threads may be interwoven withthe fabric when required, so as to produce either plain-stripe orvarious 'so-called clock-work effects as desired.

The invention is fully described in connection with the accompanyingdrawing and' the novel features are in the claims. I y

Figure l is an elevation, partly in secspecially pointed out tion,showing my improved mechanism in preferred form, as applied to amachine. Fig. 2 is a partial view at right angles to Fig. 1 showing in asomewhat larger scale the thread-carrier suspension device and thecooperating finger-guide carrier head. Fig. 3 is a plan view of thethread carrier suspension device. 7 Fig. 4 is a plan view of thefinger-guide carrier'head.

The needle cylinder 2,.needles 3, cam cylinder 4:, and frame 5, areparts of an ordinary circular knitting machine in which the cam cylinderis rotated from a drive shaft 6.

A column-bracket 78, fixed to the frame 5, directly supports athread-carrier suspension device 10; by means of a stem portion 11vertically slidable in the axially apertured end 9 of said bracket, anda fixed collar 12 and set screw 13, as indicated. The additionalthreadorthreads, 15, 15, which are to be interwoven with the circularlyknitted fabric of the machine, each extends from an additional bobbin 16mounted on an arm 17 at the upper end of the stem 11, to the dependingend .20 of-a' suspended thread-carrier finger 21 with which it is swungaround so as to engage determined needles, scribed. The carrier finger21 is suspended, as shown, by means of a universal joint connected tothe suspension devicelO; the latter having a socket-bearing .22 in whicha ball-enlargement at the upper end of the finger is loosely mountedsubstantially as set forth in Patent No. 1,077,304 issued to ashereinafter de me November 4, 1913. My present inven tion consists inproviding means for imbeing providedwith a suspension point engaged in asocket bearing 22 of the suspension device 10. For imparting swingingmovement to the fingers, each is provided, as shown, with a rigidlaterally extending operating arm 25 having a rigid head plate 26 with acentral cam-contacting roller or projection 27 and with additionalscamcontacting rollers 28 and'29 located on opposite sidespf saidcentral roller 27, upon centrally. pivoted carrier arms which have stopsto positively limit their pivotal swing. These pivoted roller-carryingarms 38 .are connected by springs 32, 32 to other rigid operating arms37, 37 of the finger 21, arranged at right angles to the arm 25, and'both fingers are pressed radially inward by a connecting spring 31; sothat contact of a suitable cam 30 carried by the rotary cam cylinder 4,with the series of rollers 28, 27, 29 arranged in its path, will imparta controllable needle-engaging swing to the free end of the finger. Themovements of the finger along the needles are effected through thespring-connected pivoted roller arms, .Whilethe radial movements toengage the threads are effected through the central roller 27. Thecontrol of this movement of the thread-carrying finger 21 so as toenable engagement of its thread with any determined number of needles,is efl'ected, as shown, by means of a finger-guide carrier head 35having a central stem 36 extending upward through the hollow suspensiondevice 10, which is provided at its upper end with suitable means, ascross-arm 37, through which a vertical adjusting movement may beimparted to the finger-guide carrier head 35.

The finger 21, as shown, is provided with an intermediate guide-collar40, which is engaged in a guide-way of the adjustably fixed head 35;this guide way being formed by parallel walls 41, 41 adapted to controlboth the radial and lateral movements of the swinging finger. To providefor varying the eiitent of the lateral movements, as determined by thedifferent number of needles which the additional thread may be desiredto engage for determined swings of the cam cylinder, these guide walls41, 41 are provided with opposing vertical series of separatelyadjustable stops 42, 42. These stops operate in pairs, proper verticaladjustment of the head 35 serving to bring the collar into guidingcontact with one oranother of the difi'erently spread pair of stops,during difi'erent swings of the finger.

In-order that desired ornamental effects may be reliably and accuratelyproduced it is practically necessary that the adjusting movements of thefinger-guide carrier head 35 be automatically produced, and that the cam30 be correspondinglymoved into operative or inoperative position.Pattern-controlled means for jointly efiecting these movements aretherefore provided; comprising, as shown, a lifting-rod for thefingerguide carrier head 35, which rod is arranged to be operated bylugs 51, 51 of varying heights on a pattern chain 52; and a raising andlowering rod 53 for said cam 30, which rod is operated by a pin 54 whenthe latter is moved'into operation by other patternchain lugs 55 adaptedto so move said pin through the medium of a suitable lever 56-57. Asindicated the pattern chain 52, which is operated from the shaft 6 bymeans of a pawl device 6061, is arranged to be automatically thrown intooperation when needed, by an independently driven pattern chain 62 whichcontrols said pawl 60, but this specific arrangement of the patternmechanism is of course immaterial,so long as the operation of the head35 and cam 30.

are harmoniously effected thereby as described. The ,required automaticmovements of the cam-rod 53 are produced, as shown, by control of astar-wheel 65, suitably mounted in the cam cylinder 4 with thepattern-projected pin 54 in its path; the

handled device 66 indicated being merely description that when the cam30 is set in provided to permit of throwing the :am 30 entirely out ofaction when desired.

It will be understood from the foregoing operative position it imparts aneedle-engaging swing to the finger or fingers 21 at each rotation ofthe cam cylinder; and that the extent of this swing is varied, asdetermined by the number of needles on which it is desired to engage theadditional thread at diflerent rotations in order to produce desiredornamental efi'ects,first, bycorresponding adjustnient of the stops 4242point, means for imparting an intermittent needle-engaging swing to thefree end of said finger, and means for varying said swing as determinedby the number of needles to be engaged.

2. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising athread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, meansfor imparting an intermittent needle-engaging swing to the free end' ofsaid finger, and pattern-controlled means for varying said swing asdetermined by the number of needles to be engaged.

3. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising athread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, meansfor imparting an intermittent needle-engaging swing thereto, afingerguide having a plurality ofpairs of oppositely arranged fingerstops, and means for making operative one or another of said pairs ofstops.

4. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising afreely-suspended thread-carrier finger, means for imparting anintermittent needle-engaging swing thereto, a finger-guide having aplurality of pairs of separately adjustable oppositely arranged fingerstops, and means for making operative one or another of said pairs ofstops.

5. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising athread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, meansfor imparting an intermittent needle-engaging swing to the free end ofsaid finger, a finger-guide having a plurality of pairs of; oppositelyarranged finger stops,

and pattern-controlled means for makmg' pairs of finger-guide having aplurality of pairs of oppositely arranged finger stops, means forimparting an intermittent needle-engaging swlng to said thread-carrierfinger, and pattern-controlled adjusting means for said point, means fornormally imparting a maximum intermittent needle-engaging swing to thefree end of said finger and means for variably limiting said swing asdetermined by the number of needles to be engaged.

8. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising athread-carrier finger having a universal-joint supension point means fornormally imparting a maximum intermittent needle-engaging swing to thefree end of said finger comprising controlling spring connections to thelatter, and means for variablylimiting said swing as determined by thenumber of needles to be engaged. I

9. A clocking attachment for circular knitting machines comprising athread-carrier finger having a universal-joint suspension point, meansfor normally imparting a maximum intermittent needle-engaging swing tothe free end of said finger, means for variably limiting said swing asdeterminedby the number of needles to be engaged, and a patternmechanism arranged to automatically control both said swinging andlimiting means.

10. In a clocking attachment for circular knittting machines, athread-carrier-finger having a universal joint suspension point providedwith a horizontal operating arm having a rigid head plate and a centralcamcontacting projection, side cam-contacting projections each having alimited pivotal movement on said head plate, and other rigid operatingarms having spring connections to said pivotally movable sideprojections.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

v FRANK W. ROBINSON.

Witnesses:

. ADAM L. OITERBEIN,

D. M. STEWART.

